Presenting a professional image when you run a business needs to be one of your top priorities. If you don’t look like you want to be taken seriously, people are likely to pass you by and consider other businesses instead. There are so many small ways you can fail to look like a professional business, as well as bigger mistakes you can make. Avoiding these problems will give your business more of a legitimate air, so people will be more willing to consider it. If you’re not sure if your business looks as professional as it could, here are some of the things you might be doing wrong.
Sloppy Documents and Communications
The way you communicate with people can have a huge effect on how they see you. When you talk to someone in person or even over the phone, it can seem easier to make sure you’re projecting a professional image. But if you’re communicating through the written word, it can make it seem a little more difficult. Your emails, documents, and even instant messages need to carry the right tone and look good too. You can improve the documents you send with tools like invoice templates to help you be consistent. You can include your logo and a smart header and layout. Using an email signature is another way to be more consistent with your professional image.
Amateur Graphics and Images
Professional graphics are vital for any business that you want people to take seriously. While you might think you can draw up some simple graphics on your own, they’re often not as good as you think they are. Even when you pay someone else to do them, it’s important to make sure you don’t try to cut costs too much. If you’re only willing to spend a small amount of money, you’re not going to get the best quality. A professional logo is the least you need.
No Domain Name
This might seem like an obvious mistake to make, but many business owners don’t realize how important it is. People who might have come to the internet late often don’t pay attention to this step, in particular. The lack of a dedicated domain name makes your business look either out of date or very new. Even if you have a domain name, many people then fail to extend it to their email address. Asking people to email a Hotmail or Yahoo email address doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in your business.
No Business Contact Details
Does your contact page list a mobile phone number and your personal address and email address? Maybe you don’t even have a contact page. Making sure you have these details for your business makes you look better to your website visitors and to search engines. You can get a dedicated phone number using Google Voice and use a virtual address service if your business is based from your home.
Don’t make these mistakes if you want your business to look professional. Pay close attention to how other businesses improve their images.
